Transgender Awareness Week

Transgender Awareness Week, observed 13 November to 19 November, is a one-week celebration leading up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorialises victims of transphobic violence.

Trans Day of Remembrance

Join us on 20 November 2024, from 6.30pm – 8.30pm, in Sackville Gardens, to honour the lives of transgender individuals lost.

Hosted by Not a Phase, Trans Pride Manchester, Trans Creative, Sparkle, Manchester Pride and The Proud Place, the vigil will include a group walk from The Proud Place and a livestream for those preferring to stay indoors.

BSL interpretation will be available throughout. Let’s come together in remembrance and resilience.

Out In The Country: Celebrating LGBT+ Voices in Agriculture

A partnership has been formed between farmer Graham Clarke, ex-National Farmers’ Union regional director Adam Bedford and Leeds-based LGBT+ charity Out Together.

The mission? To create a rural LGBT+ community honouring lifelong farmer and friend, Mike Potter.

Mike, a potato farmer from North Yorkshire, came out as gay at the age of 72 having felt compelled to hide his true self from the farming industry for most of his life.

He sadly passed away in October 2022 at the age of 76, after battling Parkinson’s disease.

As executors of Mike’s estate, Adam and Graham believed he would have wanted his savings to support initiatives that foster inclusivity for rural LGBT+ individuals.

Driven by Mike’s memory and the challenges they knew he faced as a gay man in farming, the pair shared his story with charity trustees Tim Gittins and Matt Jameson from Out Together.

Tim said: “We were so touched by Mike’s story that we immediately wanted to start working with Adam and Graham to put on events for LGBT+ people living rurally.

“Everyone deserves to feel connected and supported wherever they live.”

Out On The Farm 

Together, they organised their first joint event, “Out On The Farm”, held on 22 September at Graham’s family farm in Pickhill, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

The event drew more than 140 attendees from various backgrounds and included music and food.

A highlight was a cooking demonstration by Yorkshire chef Steph Moon, known from the BBC’s Great British Menu, who amazed guests by preparing a three-course meal in less than 45 minutes.

Aside from the smorgasbord of food, fun, and tractor tours, the day provided a chance for LGBT+ farmers to foster connections and build community spirit, with many guests experiencing a gathering like it for the first time.

“What we have learned from “Out On The Farm” is that isolation can be even more pronounced in the countryside; LGBT+ people can face numerous additional challenges in making social connections as fewer resources are available, distances are greater, and social pressures can be more evident,” says Tim.

Adam, a close friend of Mike for more than 20 years since their days at Askham Bryan College, reflected on the day: “I’ve never seen such a diverse group of people come together for a party on a farm in North Yorkshire. Mike would have loved it – it was truly fantastic!”

Isolation

Reflecting on Mike’s journey and how he had wanted to share his life with a partner, which ultimately went unfulfilled, Adam stresses the importance of creating welcoming spaces, especially in rural areas where LGBT+ individuals often encounter isolation.

“We have come a long way, but we still have much further to go in agriculture. Mike’s story illustrates this; I’m sure he would have come out earlier if he’d had an LGBT+ community around him,” Adam says.

Already working to combat isolation for rural LGBT+ communities is AgRespect, a collective of LGBT+ farmers advocating for equality and inclusion in the countryside.

Julie Robinson, who attended the “Out On The Farm” event on behalf of AgRespect, said: “As a group of happy lesbians and gay men on tractors who knew Mike, we were excited to support and promote the event. I had a fantastic time and look forward to what this new partnership will create for our rural LGBT+ communities.”

Future plans

Following the success of the inaugural event, Adam, Graham and the charity have pledged to develop future initiatives, recognising the need for events like it to continue.

To support this vision, Mike’s estate will make a further donation to help Out Together explore new networks and create additional activities for the LGBT+ rural community.

This backing will enable the charity to launch its new project, “Out In The Country”.

In spring 2025, the project plans to trial new community “hubs” in North Yorkshire.

These safe spaces – whether a coffee shop, village hall, or other welcoming venue – will provide opportunities for people to socialise and share experiences of LGBT+ life in rural areas.

“We hope the trial will lead to us hosting regular gatherings in different villages or small towns that will make social and support networks a local reality,” says Tim.

The project will also develop a “virtual neighbourhood” – an online community platform that will complement the in-person events.

This recognises that social opportunities in the countryside are often limited due to working schedules or concerns about LGBT+ inclusion.

Tim believes that digital outreach can connect people across scattered communities and ensure consistent support.

“Since 2022, our charity has successfully used ‘telefriending’ networks to contact individuals who are unable or unwilling to attend events physically,” he says.

“In rural areas, we think online support groups, forums, and virtual meet-ups may be more accessible for some people to begin with, than in-person gatherings.”

By elevating LGBT+ voices and fostering connections both in person and online, the partnership aims to create lasting change in rural communities, ensuring that everyone feels they belong.

For regular updates on the project or to get involved, visit the Out Together website or send an email to hello@outtogether.lgbt with the subject “Out In The Country”.

Landmark Ruling for LGBT+ People Seeking Asylum

On 12 November 2024, the European Court of Human Rights published its judgement that a gay man from Iran cannot be deported from Switzerland or asked to live discreetly in Iran.

Homosexual relationships in Iran are a criminal offence and people face the death penalty.

Aderonke Apata, African Rainbow Family founder and CEO, acted as a court-granted Intervener in this case – the outcome of which will now apply as law within all 46 Council of Europe member countries, including the United Kingdom!

What does this mean for LGBT+ People Seeking Asylum?

This landmark ruling marks a change for LGBT+ asylum cases throughout Europe, as the European Court of Human Rights has now overturned the Government of Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court ruling which stated that “it was unlikely that the applicant’s sexual identity would be discovered if he continued to live discreetly in Iran”.

The recognition that requiring gay men to live discreetly in their country of origin to avoid harm is psychologically damaging and unacceptable for LGBT+ people seeking asylum.

To put it simply, this outcome now means that it is the law for all 46 Council of Europe member countries to end the use of discretion and concealment tests in asylum cases surrounding sexual orientation. The use of these tests has previously been a barrier to the fair treatment of LGBT+ people seeking asylum, as such tests demand that LGBT+ people seeking asylum repeatedly demonstrate that they were not able to live a discreet life in their home country.

It is unjust to suggest that any LGBT+ person should need to conceal their identity for their entire life when there are safe countries where they might be able to live openly – and we are glad that the European Court of Human Rights has affirmed this belief. This positive decision affirms the European Court of Human Rights’ commitment to protecting the rights and mental well-being of individuals facing persecution based on sexual orientation, setting a positive precedent for human rights and dignity.

The European Court of Human Rights granted African Rainbow Family alongside Stonewall permission to intervene in this case, M.I v Switzerland Application no. 56390/21.